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Dana White Ranks Jon Jones Over Islam Makhachev as MMA’s Top P4P Fighter

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According to Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, there’s no debate as to who deserves to be mixed martial arts’ No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

While Islam Makhachev secured his 14th consecutive victory — and third successful title defense — with a fifth-round submission victory against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 headliner on Saturday night, White believes current heavyweight champion Jon Jones still has the superior resume.

“I think he’s [Makhachev] one of the greatest of all-time. I think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,” White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “For anyone to call Islam the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world when Jon Jones is still f—ing fighting is nuts and shouldn’t be ranking in the pound-for-pound, or doing any of the f—ing rankings ever if that’s what you really think.

“Jon Jones has never lost a fight, ever. He’s fough…

Kevin Holland Reveals Why He Apologized to Donald Trump After UFC 302 Win

Kevin Holland apologized to Donald Trump for what he perceived to be a previous snub after his first-round submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302.

Holland survived a knockdown from Oleksiejczuk to secure an armbar, which appeared to injure the Pole’s arm and forced referee Herb Dean to step in at the 1:34 mark of the opening frame. “Trailblazer” immediately jumped over the Octagon and spoke to Trump, who was in attendance for the event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Holland later revealed that he actually apologized to Trump for not greeting him in a previous instance. Holland noted that his first instinct is to always speak to UFC executives seated cageside.

“I just apologized because the first time that I hopped out of the cage when he was there, I didn’t speak to him,” Holland said during a post-fight media scrum. “And no disrespect to anybody ever, the person who signs my checks is usually the first person I’…

Grant Dawson Targets Future Showdown with Jalin Turner

Rather than seeking a rematch, Grant Dawson is looking to get over his loss against Bobby Green by beating an opponent that recently beat “King.”

Dawson bounced back from a knockout loss against Green with a dominant unanimous decision win over Joe Solecki at UFC 302 on Saturday. Dawson then called out Jalin Turner, who knocked out Green in December 2023.

“I want get back into the Top 15 by the end of this year, so I’d like to fight Jalin Turner,” Dawson said during a post-fight media scrum. “I don’t think Jalin Turner is gonna want to fight me, especially after a performance like that… He beat the guy that beat me. And there’s an easy way to get over Bobby without actually having to fight Bobby again, is beat the guy that beat him.”

Dawson was a considerable favorite going into the first UFC headliner of his career against Green in October 2023. Green knocked out Dawson in 33 seconds at UFC Fight Night 229, handing “KGD” the first loss of hi…

Ailin Perez Calls for Headlining Fight Against Kayla Harrison After UFC 302 Win

Ailin Perez called out Kayla Harrison after her win over Joselyne Edwards at UFC 302 on Saturday.

Perez and Edwards looked to settle their rivalry, which started with an altercation at the UFC Performance Institute in November 2023. “Fiona” survived a blatant head butt from Edwards and went on to register a unanimous decision victory in their preliminary bantamweight bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Argentine standout subsequently called out two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison.

Elaborating on her callout, Perez noted that the former Professional Fighters League lightweight champ currently has a lot of clout in the division. Perez wants to fight Harrison in a main event, which would be the first five rounder of the Argentine’s career if it comes to fruition.

“Yes, I called out Kayla Harrison back there in the interview,” Perez said during a post-fight media scrum. “This is the name that’s resounding in the di…

UFC 302 Bonuses: Islam Makhachev Earns Extra $100K for Latest Title Defense

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Islam Makhachev might have gotten a tougher fight than he bargained for from Dustin Poirier, but that test turned out to be quite profitable for the Dagestani champion.

Makhachev defeated Poirier via fifth-round submission to retain his lightweight crown in the UFC 302 headliner at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night. Poirier proved to be a game opponent, doing perhaps his best work in the fourth frame before submitting to a brabo choke in the final stanza. As a result, Makhachev and Poirier received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece. Meanwhile, Makhachev also earned one of the evening’s $50,000 “Performance of the Night” awards to bring his bonus total to $100,000 overall.

Elsewhere, Kevin Holland secured the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check by virtue of his quick submission victory against Michal Oleksiejczuk in a featured m…

Islam Makhachev Chokes Out Dustin Poirier in Dramatic UFC 302 Headliner

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+

If a champion is defined by the quality of his rivalries, Islam Makhachev is building one hell of a résumé.

In the main event of UFC 302 on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, Makhachev (26-1) encountered stern resistance from a valiant and dangerous Dustin Poirier (30-9, 1 NC) before securing the dramatic finish.

The two lightweight greats began with some spirited exchanges on the feet but the champ, as expected, employed his wrestling quickly. Makhachev changed levels within the first minute of the fight and deposited “The Diamond” on the canvas at the base of the fence. From there, he went to work with his crushingly heavy top game. Poirier was not quite done, taking advantage of a kimura attempt by the champ to escape to his knees, but Makhachev spun behind him, secured a body triangle and went to work for a choke. Poirier survived to the end of the round, avoiding any subm…

UFC 302 ‘Makhachev vs. Poirier’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

As the Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its way back for its 10th visit to “Brick City” this weekend, a lightweight clash sits atop the marquee, as reigning champion Islam Makhachev faces off with former interim 155-pound title holder Dustin Poirier in a deeply-compelling and undeniably legacy-shaping duel.

UFC 302 goes down on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The bill is supported by a stellar main card lineup and a solid assembly of preliminary clashes. Stay tuned to Sherdog.com at 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. ET to catch live play-by-play coverage of all of the action.

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Lima (-218), Raposo (+180)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Devin Tejada scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Devin Tejada scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay …

UFC 302 Prelims: Roman Kopylov Educates Cesar Almeida

Order Now! UFC 302 "Makhachev vs. Poirier" Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ Roman Kopylov taught the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s newest crossover kickboxing star why they call it “mixed” martial arts.

In the top prelim of UFC 302 on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, Kopylov (13-3) gave Cesar Almeida (5-1) a taste of what might await him as he scaled the UFC middleweight ranks. Kopylov, himself usually a kickboxer by preference, elected to test the unproven grappling of “Cesinha,” trying for a takedown in the opening minute, then succeeding a moment later, grounding the Brazilian at the base of the fence. Almeida got back up quickly but was floored by a Kopylov left hand near the midpoint of the round. Kopylov let his man back up, but was wide open for yet another takedown late, and rode out the balance of the round from top position. Almeida regrouped for the second frame, turning aside Kopylov’s first several takedown attempts, slipping his punches and landing some…

Arman Tsarukyan: I Would Have Hit Dustin Poirier for Calling Me a ‘Motherf—er’

Arman Tsarukyan says if Dustin Poirier called him a motherf***er, his hand "definitely would've reached the target" 😳

"I need to react. To say that we are from a different culture and such things should not be told to us.

It's good for Islam that he is not a very… pic.twitter.com/KS8fKWq9ew — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 1, 2024

Arman Tsarukyan is admittedly not as tolerant as Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev defends his strap against Dustin Poirier in the main event at UFC 302 on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. During their pre-fight face off, “The Diamond” called Makhachev a “motherf—-r,” evidently irking the champion. The Dagestani sternly asked Poirier to avoid using that term but refrained from getting physical with the Louisiana native.

Tsarukyan recently weighed in on the incident, claiming he would have reacted differently than Makhachev. “Ahalkalakets” indicated that most …

UFC 302 Weigh-in Results: Lightweight Title Fight Set; 1 Fighter Heavy

[embedded content] Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ After a rare week off, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns with a thrilling lightweight title fight and an intriguing UFC 302 pay-per-view card.

The main event for the 12-fight card is now official. Both champion Islam Makhachev and challenger Dustin Poirier weighed 155 pounds on the dot for the five-round fight. One fighter missed weight as Andre Lima came in at 130 pounds for his flyweight fight against Mitch Raposo. He'll be fined 30% of his purse as a result.

Fans will be treated to see Makhachev (25-1) up against another proper lightweight after back-to-back title defenses over Alexander Volkanovski. While the first outing was quite close, Makhachev knocked out "The Great" with a brutal head kick in the first round of their short-notice rematch. The Russian fighter won the belt in 2022 by submitting Charles Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke.

Mike Tyson Illness Postpones July 20 Boxing Match With Jake Paul

Paul vs Tyson update. pic.twitter.com/7jPUN5KeSq

— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) May 31, 2024 Legendary boxer Mike Tyson needs to heal up and recover before getting back to the ring again.

Tyson (50-6, 2 NC; 44 KOs) was slated to take on Jake Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) on July 20 in a modified pro boxing match. The two were expected to tangle at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. However, Tyson suffered a medical issue involving an ulcer on Sunday during a flight, and medical professional had to tend to him. This has resulted in Tyson being forced to stop training for a few weeks, until his recovery allows him to do so without limits. Due to this, the event has been postponed to a future date, one that will be announced on June 7.

The fight, and potentially the remainder of the card, will still be held in the same building. Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions organization has stated in a press release that all ti…

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov Booked for UFC Fight Night Event in July

Hay regreso argentino🇦🇷🔥 Hay batalla de veteranos en las 1️⃣7️⃣0️⃣ libras el sábado 13 de julio❗️@SPonzinibbioMMA vs Muslim Salikhov pic.twitter.com/FoWAjnAevU

— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) May 31, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be bringing a striker’s delight battle to Denver in July.

Per the organization on Friday, Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-7) and Muslim Salikhov (19-5) will come to blows on July 13. The two welterweights will collide at a currently unnumbered UFC Fight Night card that will be held at the Ball Arena in Denver. They combine for 29 knockouts in their lengthy careers, with 20 of those coming in the first round.

This will be Ponzinibbio’s first appearance in over a year, with his last outing an unsuccessful one when he faced and fell to a ferocious left hook from Kevin Holland. The fighter currently known as “Argentine Dagger” has struggled as of late, dropping three of his last four bouts. A pair of split deci…

5-Star Prospect Paul Hughes Has Big Plans for Bellator Championship Series Dublin

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Paul Hughes became one of Ireland’s most popular fighters in under a dozen bouts. Now, his sights are set on the globe. The former Cage Warriors featherweight champion has big plans since signing with the Professional Fighters League last April, but first, he must handle business on home soil.

Before competing in the PFL season, the 27-year-old Belfast native will make his company debut against Bobby King in the Bellator Champions Series Dublin co-main event on June 22 at 3Arena. The event will stream live in HBO’s Max app in the U.S.

Hughes co-headlines the card led by Bellator MMA welterweight champion Jason Jackson’s showdown against Ramazan Kurmagomedov, but will receive the most love from the hometown fans. Hughes is a budding star and will have the pro-Irish crowd in the palm of his gloves.

“It’s going to be a big moment for me because 3Arena is so iconic,” Hughes said. “To have the opportunity to co-headline it is a…

Invicta FC 55 on June 28 to Mark Promotional Return, Features Bantamweight Belt

We aren't back because we never left. Now it's time for us to do the talking....#InvictaFC55 | Kansas City, Kansas at Memorial Hall @Talita_MMA(c) vs @bigbad2_0 for the bantamweight title

Full card and tickets released May 31st

NEW DISTRIBUTION DEAL ANNOUNCED SOON pic.twitter.com/TAxPcuAXyu — Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) May 28, 2024 It’s been a while, but Invicta Fighting Championships is coming back in full swing this summer.

On Tuesday, organizational chief Shannon Knapp announced on the “MMA Today” show on the MMA on SiriusXM radio channel that Invicta would be staging its first event of the year in June. The women’s-only league last ran a show in October 2023, and rumors had spread that Invicta was in jeopardy. According to a press release on Friday, a full seven-fight offering will be held at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The broadcast arrangements have not yet been made public, but Invicta later poste…

Carlo Bumina-ang Taps Chayan Oorzhak at ONE Friday Fights 65, Nets $100K Contract

Surging bantamweight Carlo Bumina-ang made quick work of Chayan Oorzhak and secured his fifth ONE Championship victory in a ONE Friday Fights 65 bantamweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bumina-ang (5-0, 5-0 ONE) came out with guns blazing and was quick to floor his opponent with a straight left before slamming him to the canvas and unleashing a barrage of strikes from mount. Oorzhak (8-3, 3-1 ONE), now leaking blood from the top of his face thanks to the assault, was quick to scramble and offer his back to Bumina-ang. However, the Russian proved to be crafty on the ground and was wise to Bumina-ang’s submission attacks. With less than a minute left in the frame and no submission in sight, Bumina-ang chose to stand up and engage with his opponent on the feet, landing several jarring kicks to the head and body to end the round.

Round 2 saw Bumina-ang drop Oorzhak with another straight left within the first minute…

Brazilian Pros Pick Sean Strickland Over Paulo Costa

Order Now! UFC 302 "Makhachev vs. Poirier" Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ In a stunning turn of events, Brazilian fighters and analysts pick against one of their countrymen in an upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.

Among one of the more popular MMA fighters in Brazil, Paulo Costa (14-3) has the eyes of Brazilian faithful focused on his Octagon return on Saturday. In the co-main event of UFC 302, “Borrachinha” faces former champion Sean Strickland (28-6) in a major five-round middleweight matchup. With three losses in his last four outings, the former title challenger is coming in as the betting underdog. Sherdog reached out to six Brazilian coaches, competitors and analysts, who weighed in on the pivotal 185-pound contest.

Vinicio Antony, former head coach of Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida: “Strickland is such an animal. A long time ago, we paid him to help Lyoto in a camp, I think it was for the fight against Rockhold, and he really impresse…

Islam Makhachev Envisions ‘Easy’ Night Against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302

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Islam Makhachev believes he has the blueprint for a quick night at the office against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.

Makhachev will look to defend his lightweight strap against Poirier in the main event at UFC 302 this weekend at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. This will be the third title shot for Poirier, whose first gold bid was foiled by a third-round submission loss to Makhachev’s teammate and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in 2019. Like Nurmagomedov, Makhachev also doesn’t think Poirier has made any significant improvements since that loss. Makhachev also believes that both Poirier and his coach Mike Thomas Brown don’t think “The Diamond” can win at UFC 302. Makhachev acknowledges Poirier’s elite striking, but considers himself the worst stylistic matchup for the Louisiana native.

“Honestly, he’s the same you know. Maybe [he’s aged,]” the lightweight champ said during UFC 302 media day. “And he doesn’t believe …

Conor McGregor Vents on ‘Inbred’ Islam Makhachev Staph Infection Speculation

And this 👇 pic.twitter.com/YiEzrIx6yh

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 29, 2024

Conor McGregor will seemingly never get over his rivalry with Dagestani fighters, judging by his recent dig at Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev is scheduled to defend his lightweight strap against Dustin Poirier (30-8) in the UFC 302 main event Saturday. In a recent picture of both fighters sporting the new 3Eight and 5Eight gloves, hawk-eyed fans spotted a mark on Makhachev’s leg, sparking off speculation of a potential staph infection. As of now, there is no confirmation whether Makhachev really has staph and its possible implications on the fight.

McGregor didn’t miss the opportunity to slam Makhachev and his team on social media. However, “Notorious” also predicted that the Dagestani will submit Poirier in the first round regardless.

“Staph again. This inbred however lives with Staph,” McGregor said on X, formerly known as Twitte…

Islam Makhachev Says Charles Oliveira Can Finish Colby Covington

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Islam Makhachev favors former foe Charles Oliveira in a potential clash against Colby Covington.

Makhachev dethroned Oliveira via Round 2 submission at UFC 280 in October 2022. Oliveira bounced back with a knockout win over Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 to earn a rematch against Makhachev and was once again scheduled to take on the Dagestani phenom at UFC 294 in October 2023, but was forced to withdraw due to a nasty cut suffered in sparring just 11 days before the fight.

Oliveira was replaced on short notice by Alexander Volkanovski, who suffered a head-kick knockout loss against Makhachev, who is now slated to put his title on the line against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event on June 1.

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ Meanwhile, Oliveira recently returned to action, coming up on the short side of a split decision against surging contender Arman Tsarukyan in a title eliminator…

Paulo Costa Vows to Bring Variety of Weapons Against ‘Basic’ Sean Strickland

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Paulo Costa claims to have significantly diversified his skillset since his title loss to Israel Adesanya in 2020.

Costa was undefeated in 13 pro-outings that included 12 finishes going into his gold bid against Adesanya at UFC 253. Adesanya delivered a striking clinic to hand “Borrachinha” his first loss via second-round technical knockout.

While Costa has since gone 1-2, the Brazilian recently put on a gritty performance against Robert Whittaker, almost knocking “The Reaper” out despite suffering a unanimous decision loss. According to Costa, he has developed several new tools in his arsenal since his loss to “The Last Stylebender.”

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ “I’ve grown a lot as a fighter, as a person; [I’m] more experienced,” Costa told ESPN MMA. “I have more skills than in the past, like [a] spinning back kick everybody saw in my fight against Whittaker. And improving my wre…

Nick Diaz-Vicente Luque, Tony Ferguson-Michael Chiesa Set for UFC Abu Dhabi

The main card for #UFCAbuDhabi is set!!!@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/yUK7VdaOAc

— danawhite (@danawhite) May 29, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship has put together a beast of a main card for its return to Abu Dhabi this fall.

On Wednesday, the organization announced the full five-fight slate for the main card of UFC on ABC 7. The fights will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Aug. 3. Headlining the card will be the previously booked bantamweight showdown of Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov. Additionally, the UFC confirmed the bantamweight battle between Marlon Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo. Three other newly released matchups will round out the billing.

In the co-headliner spot, Nick Diaz (26-10, 2 NC) will make his return to the Octagon in the welterweight division. The 40-year-old Cesar Gracie Fight Team staple will stand across the cage from Vicente Luque in a f…

Khabib Nurmagomedov Returns to Islam Makhachev’s Corner at UFC 302

"The Eagle has landed" 🦅@MAKHACHEVMMA is excited to have @TeamKhabib back in his corner for #UFC302! pic.twitter.com/AcvpdByEnX

— UFC (@ufc) May 28, 2024

Islam Makhachev has confirmed that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be in his corner for his upcoming title fight.

Makhachev (25-1) will defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier (30-8) in the UFC 302 main event on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. While Makhachev has been seen training with Nurmagomedov ahead of UFC 302, it wasn’t confirmed up until now whether “The Eagle” would be present for the card. However, Makhachev has now clarified that Nurmagomedov will indeed be in his corner for the pay-per-view offering, which he is certainly glad about. “Eagle is landed in Jersey City. He is going to be in my corner. Honestly, I’m very happy because he is one of the best corner, coach, brother, friend. That’s it.”

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday …

Benoit St. Denis Favors Islam Makhachev’s Well-Roundedness Against Dustin Poirier

Benoit St. Denis believes Islam Makhachev has more tools at his disposal than Dustin Poirier to get his hands raised at UFC 302.

Makhachev is slated to defend his lightweight strap against Poirier in the main event at UFC 302 on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Poirier made his case for the gold bid with a second-round knockout win over St. Denis at UFC 299in March. While St. Denis acknowledges Poirier’s elite boxing, “God of War” notes that Makhachev’s complete skillset cannot go unnoticed.

While St. Denis is leaving room for a potential knockout from Poirier, the Frenchman believes Makhachev has a more well-rounded arsenal to get the job done, either via knockout, submission or decision.

“It’s a great fight. Dustin Poirier is a very composed and experienced fighter. I do believe he has boxing on his side, but Makhachev is very well-rounded,” St. Denis recently told MMA Fighting at the ADXC 4 grappling event in Paris. “I do belie…

Coach Eric Nicksick Doesn’t Want UFC 302’s Sean Strickland to Turn ‘Soft’

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While coach Eric Nicksick agrees that Sean Strickland could benefit from some sophistication, he doesn’t want his fighter to turn soft.

Strickland (28-6) is scheduled to take on Paulo Costa (14-3) in a five-round co-headliner at UFC 302 on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland is notorious for his rants and controversial opinions. However, “Tarzan” was recently seen teaching his pup Harley how to swim, leading people to wonder if the former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champ is really kind-hearted and compassionate on the inside.

Strickland’s longtime coach recently confirmed that his pupil is, in fact, a “softy.”

According to Nicksick, Strickland’s girlfriend, himself and other members at the gym all work on refining some of Strickland’s edges. However, they unanimously also don’t want the California native to turn soft altogether.

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Satur…

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